In a sad Christmas Day turn of events, Kate Bush revealed that one of the swimmers who went missing was “one of (her) dearest friends.”
In tribute to her friend Matthew Upham, who remains missing after going for a swim off the coast of Devon, England on December 25, the iconic singer wrote:
“Matthew was one of my very dearest friends. I’d known him for thirty years.” “He was one of those people who touched everyone he met. He was extraordinarily kind, thoughtful and lived life to the full. He was also a great deal of fun.” “His family are heartbroken and along with many of his friends, so am I.”
Noting that Upham was a “very strong” swimmer who had a great respect for the sea, the 67-year old songstress added “It’s so tragic that he lost his life this way.” “The world has lost someone incredibly special. Thank you Matthew, for being one of the best friends anyone could have.”
After the 63-year old antiques dealer Upham, and a man in his 40s could not be found, Emergency services were called to Budleigh Salterton in Devon around 10.25am on December 25 and the coastguard’s search and rescue operation was called off at 5pm later that day.
Writing that he “is deeply loved and will be forever missed,” over the weekend, Upham’s family took to his Instagram to issue the following statement:
“We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the emergency services who responded, particularly the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and coastguard, for their dedication, professionalism, and tireless efforts during this extremely difficult time. We are profoundly grateful for their compassion and support.”
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Author: Al Dente
Photo: Guido Harari – Public Domain